AMA #65: Red light therapy: promising applications, mixed evidence, and impact on health and aging

Peter Attia

Nov 18, 2024

Episode description

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In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter dives into the world of red light therapy in response to frequent questions from listeners. Peter provides a comprehensive exploration, starting with the basics of red light therapy and why it’s getting so much attention. The conversation examines the latest data on various applications, including aging, skin health, acne, wound healing, hair loss, eye health, exercise performance, metabolic health, weight loss, inflammation, injury recovery, and menstrual cramps. Peter analyzes the scientific literature on each use case and concludes with a summary table that provides an easy-to-follow breakdown of the potential benefits of red light therapy across these areas.

If you’re not a subscriber and are listening on a podcast player, you’ll only be able to hear a preview of the AMA. If you’re a subscriber, you can now listen to this full episode on your private RSS feed or our website at the AMA #65 show notes page. If you are not a subscriber, you can learn more about the subscriber benefits here.

We discuss:

  • Overview of topics and the motivation behind exploring red light therapy [1:45];

  • The basic science of red light therapy [3:15];

  • The unique penetration properties of red light [6:00];

  • What happens when tissue is exposed to red light [9:30];

  • Exploring red light therapy’s potential to combat aging [11:00];

  • Red light therapy for treating acne [13:00];

  • Red light therapy for aiding in wound healing [18:45];

  • Red light therapy for hair loss: promising benefits and practical advice [24:15];

  • Analyzing the evidence of a positive or negative effect of red light therapy on the eyes [28:00];

  • Red light therapy’s impact on performance and recovery [30:30];

  • <

Episode description

View the Show Notes Page for This Episode

Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content

Sign Up to Receive Peter’s Weekly Newsletter

In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter dives into the world of red light therapy in response to frequent questions from listeners. Peter provides a comprehensive exploration, starting with the basics of red light therapy and why it’s getting so much attention. The conversation examines the latest data on various applications, including aging, skin health, acne, wound healing, hair loss, eye health, exercise performance, metabolic health, weight loss, inflammation, injury recovery, and menstrual cramps. Peter analyzes the scientific literature on each use case and concludes with a summary table that provides an easy-to-follow breakdown of the potential benefits of red light therapy across these areas.

If you’re not a subscriber and are listening on a podcast player, you’ll only be able to hear a preview of the AMA. If you’re a subscriber, you can now listen to this full episode on your private RSS feed or our website at the AMA #65 show notes page. If you are not a subscriber, you can learn more about the subscriber benefits here.

We discuss:

  • Overview of topics and the motivation behind exploring red light therapy [1:45];

  • The basic science of red light therapy [3:15];

  • The unique penetration properties of red light [6:00];

  • What happens when tissue is exposed to red light [9:30];

  • Exploring red light therapy’s potential to combat aging [11:00];

  • Red light therapy for treating acne [13:00];

  • Red light therapy for aiding in wound healing [18:45];

  • Red light therapy for hair loss: promising benefits and practical advice [24:15];

  • Analyzing the evidence of a positive or negative effect of red light therapy on the eyes [28:00];

  • Red light therapy’s impact on performance and recovery [30:30];

  • <

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Optimize red light coherence and collimation for effective penetration depth

The depth reached by red light depends on its coherence (how wavelengths line up) and collimation (how aligned the beams are), not just its intensity.

Understand limitations of red light penetration in skin treatment

Red light delivered by common LED devices, the most common method, can only penetrate about 2 to 3 millimeters into the skin.

Utilize lasers for deeper red light penetration

If red light is delivered by a laser, it can penetrate significantly deeper, from 1 to 4 centimeters, due to its focused energy.

Prioritize superficial applications for effective red light therapy

As a general rule of thumb, the more superficial the application for red light therapy, the more plausible it is that it will be effective.

Limit blue light exposure to boost energy production

Conversely, blue and green light wavelengths seem to decrease the activity of cytochrome C oxidase and subsequently decrease ATP production.

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